EVs and the TOW TABOO
Kiwi companies are finding new solutions to enable EVs to tow, reports Richard Bosselman
The BYD Atto 3 battery electric vehicle (BEV) has gained a Kiwi-sorted special skill that could even go global: the local distributor has won factory sanction to offer a towbar.
Like many EVs, the Atto 3 was not officially rated to tow. But Auckland firm Best Bars looks to have changed the Chinese parent company’s mindset.
The $1199 (plus fitting cost) kit that BYD China has stamped as a safe choice meets New Zealand (NZS 5467 and SAE J684) standards and Australian (ADR 62) protocol.
“It is likely we are the first market in the world to fit a tow bar [to an Atto 3],” says BYD Auto NZ brand manager Warren Willmot.
“It is a car designed for China and they don’t tow things up there. The car has not been designed to tow.” Though the head office in Shenzhen, China, didn’t require a test item, approval required the submission of numerous CAD drawings, all carefully scrutinised by factory engineers who were involved in every step.
“We are one the very first Western markets for this car so we have a very good working relationship with the team up at Shenzhen, where everything has been signed off and approved.” The kit includes a bespoke wiring loom and will entertain 750kg braked and unbraked — as per BYD’s engineering instruction — and a 75kg tongue download, an NZTA best practice requirement.
It should be perfect for a light trailer but, more potentially, as the mounting point for a bike carrier, Willmot says.
“Our customers are not buying the Atto 3 to tow . . . a big boat. The types of customers wanting this car will want it to tow something like a small garden trailer, and e-bikes. It would cope with a couple of those.” One point often made is that with their instant torque from powerful electric motors, EVs are conceivably perfect tow vehicles. The Atto 3 joins an NZ newEV towing club, in which there are now 19 EV members, another being the Tesla Model 3.
The others comprise a diverse selection, spanning high-end European fare from Audi, BMW, Jaguar and MercedesBenz through to other products from China — MG, Polestar and LDV included — and Korea’s big hitters, Hyundai and its subordinate, Kia.
But not the Leaf. Nissan remains adamant the hatchback that really kicked off battery car interest in NZ and maintains the spotlight as the top used choice for spendthrift buyers is not engineered to tow.
Expert opinion is that if electric cars are determined to be unable to tow, it’s because of several reasons, usually related to weight, chassis or drivetrain stress.
The battery pack fitted in an electric car is very heavy. It can influence to a point where a maker believes there’s insufficient capacity to deal with the extra weight of a trailer, as it could put too much strain on components like the brakes.
Manufacturers also fear issues when the car is slowing and regenerative braking.
Towing a heavy trailer down a steep hill will provide lots more kinetic energy than normal, with potential to overwhelm the electrical system.
“Safety is our number one priority,” says Willmot. “All the steel we use in the tow bar is highgrade virgin steel. We have a wiring loom that is plug and play, designed to work with all of the safety equipment on the car.” BYD provides a lifetime functional warranty on the bar, on the understanding of ‘sensible’ usage. “Basically, if they [the owner] are using the tow bar correctly, within its specs.” Data about capabilities, braked and unbraked maximums,
and pricing of EVs with towing capability has been collated on EVDB.nz, an NZ-specific resource to help EV owners created by Tauranga EV enthusiast and computer programmer James Foster.
Many are in the same lightweight division as the Atto 3. A growing count, though, will cope with up to 1.6 tonnes.
Just a handful are brawnier still. BMW’s iX, which starts at $163,900, stands as the towing king, with a 2.5-tonne capacity, though Tesla’s Model X is not far behind.
Foster says there’s no doubt many owners have successfully towed loads with EVs with no “official” tow rating. Many share their experiences on a private Facebook group with 1200 members, NZ EV Owners Towbar Adventures.
Is there a specific law against fitting a car without a tow rating with a tow bar? It seems not. More often than not, it all comes down to whether or not the kit can be
successfully mounted.
Foster’s experience is that when they do encounter a vehicle without a manufacturer tow rating, installers tend to rate these around 500-600 kg (unbraked).
But, as he points out: “The issue is a structural one. While the instant torque of an EV means it can tow well, has the car been designed with an appropriate structural mounting point for a tow bar?” Brands that do cite tow ratings tend to also be able to supply factory kits, but another to undertake a local resolution is Tesla.
The American maker has a factory towbar available in theory, but it’s hard to get. Many buyers of the Model 3 — by far the most popular Tesla sold here, with competition coming from the Model Y SUV — often instead choose apparatus from Stealth Solutions, based in Sydney, Australia.
Stealth Solutions’ principal Michael Hua recently told Australia’s ABC news outlet he saw a gap in the market for installing Australian standard aftermarket towing kits on electric vehicles that are certified by the manufacturer to do so.
Whether an EV is rated to tow or otherwise, there’s another factor to consider: impact on range.
The extra effort of towing a trailer will invariably reduce the maximum distance claimed for a vehicle, sometimes significantly.